BEFORE DAY ONE

Place the starter ingredients into a small bowl and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight.

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DAY ONE

Place the flour, water and starter into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for one hour to let the amylase process begin.

After one hour, add the salt and yeast into the dough, at opposite sides of the bowl.

** If you are using instant yeast, bloom the yeast in a small amount of water to activate before using.

Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 4 minutes on low speed and then 6 minutes on medium speed to form a smooth dough.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Bulk ferment the dough for 90 minutes, turning at the 30 and 60 minute marks.

To turn the dough, scoop one side of the dough up and let it drop down over the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and turn the dough again. Repeat two more times so that all 4 sides of the dough have had turns. The dough will double in size each time between turns and become more elastic.

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape the loaf into a round or oval shape, depending on your proofing basket shape.

Place the dough upside down with the seam facing up, into a floured proofing basket, cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in the fridge overnight.

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DAY TWO

Preheat the oven to 482F (250C) with a Dutch oven pot inside (with the lid on).

Cut a piece of parchment to fit inside the Dutch. Have a baking tray at room temperature ready.

When the oven is at temperature, flip the dough from the proofing basket onto the parchment and score with a lathe.

Remove the hot Dutch from the oven, take the lid off and place the dough into the Dutch. Put the lid back on and bake for 12 minutes.

After 12 minutes, remove the Dutch and place on top of the baking sheet and return to the oven. The tray will prevent the bottom of the loaf from browning too much. Bake for an additional 12 minutes.

After 24 minutes baking time, turn the oven off and remove the lid of the Dutch. Leave the Dutch in the oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes to set the crust.

Remove the Dutch from the oven and place the loaf on a wire rack to cool.

Create your own sourdough starter.

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